when I graduated High School - Summer of 1988- my family did a trip like that. Mom n Dad n 4 kids - Mini Van pulling a Pop Up Camper. Left St Louis Area and Went to Denver area - Rocky Mtns then meandered thru Colorado and hit some Ski Lodges that had Sled tracks down the slopes under the Lifts, then North n South Dakota - Mt Rushmore ,Badlands n things, then over to YellowStone, down to Slat Lake City to see Great Salt Lake n few things, then Down to Gran Canyon in Arizona and rode Mules half way down ( all way down was an overnite camp at the bottom trip) then across New Mexico and saw some Billy the Kid and Cowboy Stuff, then across Oklahoma and Arkansas then back up to St Louis area. Alot of things I dont remember exactly but we would camp 1-2 nites and see things in the area (mostly histoical type stuff) then drive a half to full day and stay 1-2 nites again. It was a 2 1/2 week trip.

Me n my Wife always said we were going to take our kids on a trip like that but Never Happened...... kids are 26 n 27 now.......

My family did a similar summer trip, only it was probably 8-9 years earlier. And we had a red VW Bug, black vinyl seats w/ no AC. I remember we went to the Rose Bowl, Disneyland, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion NP, Dodge City, Mt Rushmore, and probably a bunch of stuff I forgot. We got as far east as Illinois, but I have no idea what we saw there. Probably relatives. 17 days, lots of miles, no AC. Good times!